To Subdue You
by DiryDaryPinguin
Summary: Inuyasha has found his own version of the beads of subjugation - it's not his fault Kagome becomes the target. ALERTS: Story WILL contain extreme OC's and lemons. Read at your own risk.


**To Subdue You**

* * *

Two half-closed sun golden eyes watched over the group of humans whispering in the clearing. They fought to keep quiet so they wouldn't disturb the two small baby demons that curled around each other's fur and snuggled in the heat of the vanishing campfire. When the calm wind blew through the lava colored branches, tiny light pieces of ash flew like paper to the nose of the little fox, forcing him to stir in his sleep and take a soft paw to completely extinguish the sparks that were sure to sting and burn his tender flesh.

The half-demon smiled from his perked up spot and rolled his eyes, more than used to the child's imaginary pain-magnet – even in his sleep he managed to hurt himself. Perhaps the winds were annoyed by him just as much as he was.

"I wonder, Kagome, won't the water soften the paper and extinguish the fire of the candle?" He returned his attention to the whispering humans when the voice of the demon slayer echoed through the leaves.

"That's why we're releasing them in a calm lagoon. If the lantern keeps afloat until you can reach the other side, it means your wish will be granted. If the waters end up swallowing it, you'll probably have to wait a while longer." He heard the soft voice of the brunette, muffled by the coats and winter scarves she had brought from the other side of the well and caringly distributed through the group.

The nights became cooler and they were fortunate the strong blizzards and thunderstorms were still waiting for the calm rains to announce their arrival, allowing them to enjoy the fresh outside as a place to spend their healing nights. However, the unmoving yet chilling wind couldn't forgive. They were two hours away from becoming frozen stones.

"If only demons knew of your ritual from the future. They wouldn't have to bother us in our hunt for the Sacred Jewel." One of the half-demon's thick brows arched in confusion when he heard the voice of the monk, not quite comprehending whether he was being serious or just going along with the girls' foolish beliefs.

"I'm sure Grandpa improvised it when I was little to keep me entertained. He likes to believe there's a legend for everything and I like to let him." His eyes closed as a small smile curled up his lips, his memory well-acquainted with what Kagome was happily telling their friends. "Should we light them up?"

"If no one else wants to join us…" Miroku spoke a bit louder while lifting his chin towards the cups of the tall trees that moved with each whiff the dark night clouds breathed.

The golden eyed demon didn't allow them to peek at his smile as his neck turned the opposite way, his ears picking up on the sound of light footsteps that had a clumsy pace to them, rustling the fallen leaves on the clearing's soil.

"Do you want me to make a wish for you, Inuyasha?" He heard a voice he had never admitted to love questioning between trembling breaths, the only answer it could pull out from him being a quiet '_keh'_.

A soft sigh escaped the young priestess' lips and barely reached his ears as she turned back and tiptoed her way back to the edge of the lagoon, where Miroku cocooned his large hands around the flimsy burning branch Sango picked up from the campfire and allowed the little spark to grow. When they were sure it would not fade before their eyes, they moved it carefully towards the candles that rested on the bottom of the paper lanterns, lighting up one by one.

Inuyasha leaned his head against his open palm, allowing his elbow to support his weight as he observed the trio with amusement in his eyes. They kneeled on the dark green moss and held the lanterns closely, taking a moment to release them in the calm waters, just like Kagome had taught them. The minute the three bundles of light forced puny waves to mash together, the humans were up on their feet and promptly running to the other side, carefully avoiding the small ball of salmon and lemon fur that rested on the floor.

Fortunately, Kagome had found a way to keep them warm and entertained, taking the task off his hands without even knowing. A few hours prior, when the sun still peeked, they had arrived at the quiet clearing with the company of the forever fleeting Myoga, who was leading them to a shard of the Jewel, rumored by the local villagers to be hidden in one of the rabbit holes that surrounded the place. Deciding to offer a helpful hand and ease some work from the group's shoulders, the flea volunteered to find the shard buried in one of the holes in the soil.

Or at least that was what they knew.

His ears moved on top of his head, the sound of the tiny vessel jumping from branch to branch making him glance at his companions to make sure they were still far away from their destination and wouldn't be interrupting.

"Dare I even ask?" Myoga landed and sat on the half-demon's knee, glancing at the lit up paper floating in the lagoon with confusion. "It was the one thing I demanded of you, Lord Inuyasha! How could you disturb such a sacred place?"

Inuyasha sent the small demon a sharp glare, helping him reach behind and lay a small wrapped up cloth between them. The flea jumped from its spot and held on the knot that kept what the half-demon wanted inside the cloth, pulling it with three of its legs while the one that was left helped it keep its balance.

"The shard was quite easy to find. It was the trip to Totosai's volcano that kept me." Myoga's smile was sincere, showing how obviously proud he was for not taking as long as he expected. "Only if you wish to know, of course, my Lord." He added embarrassed when the demon's only response was a huffish sigh.

"Could he make it?" Finally his voice was heard in the clearing, his whisper kept quiet so it couldn't be heard by the two sleeping demons under them.

"He was quite displeased with the thought of you considering him no more than a jeweler, or a _pebble_ _seamstress_, as he put it." Myoga took the time to remember the day spent listening to the swordsmith's complaints with a smile. "But yes, the gems were easy enough to assemble and they are now ready for you."

With that, he was finally able to untie the knot he was sure the swordsmith had tightened on purpose, allowing the dark purple beads that formed a perfect circle to come free. Inuyasha wrapped the bracelet around his clawed fingers, searching for a simple scratch that would force his vessel to jump his way to Totosai's volcano to fix the shiny stones. It had to be perfect.

"They will make a fine gift, I guarantee you, my Lord!" Myoga laced his four arms inside their opposite sleeves and sat back on the half-demon's knee.

"I remember Mother telling me they would bring good luck for those in their possession." Inuyasha mumbled, watching the smaller demon's reaction.

"In no sort of way wanting to disrespect Lady Izayoi's spirit, I must say that is an indigent explanation." Inuyasha sat back and rolled his eyes when Myoga cleared his throat, clearly stating he would gladly fill in the gaps of his mother's story. "Bochinukai was once the resting place for the remains of the deceased demons of a clan that lived long before your father. They used the crater to dispose of the bodies since it was said that its proprieties would allow the physical plane to remain on our grounds and the souls to rest free." His eyes remained closed as he adjusted himself on the half-demon's knee. "The crater was then filled with the waters of a great storm that lasted days, resulting in the magnificent sight you have before you and that has now been defiled, my Lord." His voice toned down, forcing Inuyasha to laugh.

"They won't cause any harm." His eyes followed the trail the humans that ran against their limitations left in the soft soil. The sound of fire extinguishing by the hands of the clear water that filled the lagoon made him return his attention to Myoga.

They would be back soon.

"The beads you hold now in your hands are made of the remains of the ancient dog demons." Myoga opened his eyes for the first time since he had started the tale, jumping to Inuyasha's nose. "I hope you understand they are not a renewable, much less replaceable item, and therefore, as much as I want you to please your soon to be mate, my Lord, you must never again-"

Two sharp talons squashed the small demon in their grasp, their owner warning the vessel to keep his assumptions to himself. His nostrils flared when the scent of the humans was carried in the wind with a renewed force, alarming him of just how close his companions were.

"Inuyasha?" A sleepy trembling voice mumbled from below him, forcing him to flick the flea far away out of fright of being discovered. "Where are the others?"

"Off to look for wishes." The half-demon jumped down from the higher arms of the tree, landing without a sound next to the little fox that held on the tail of the still sleeping cat demon.

"You didn't go with Kagome? Her wishes may be dangerous. You should protect her." Shippo's voice fainted as he allowed sleep to overtake him.

Inuyasha sat beside him, gracefully crossing his arms under his chest and examining the small demon. Much to his embarrassment, he often took advantage of the fox's somnambulant daze and used it to extract information about a certain time-travelling priestess that otherwise would never reach even his heightened senses. A meaningful smile shadowed on his lips as he remembered a time when the smaller demon had told him how Kagome had confessed to sometimes, as few as they were, lose herself in the sun kissed gaze of her stubborn friend and the only rational solution her mind could formulate to avoid staining her cheeks redder than his kimono, was to sit him into the pits of Hell and hope that her pre-incarnation wouldn't relinquish on the idea.

The demon snickered and turned his back in time to see the object of his musings running towards their campsite, a warm wave of the smell of her sweat telling him just how hard they had pushed themselves for a mere wish. Child's play; something a lopsided old man had made up - and yet, he loved the mere sight of her running towards him with that silly smile plastered all across her features.

"We couldn't make it." She whispered between harsh breaths, noticing how close they were to the two sleeping demons.

Her chocolate eyes smiled down at him before glancing back to Sango and Miroku who were stretching their way to the lanterns forgotten in the lagoon, trying hard to keep their balance steady and their clothes dry. When she noticed they dismissed her and obviously told her to sit down and not worry, she clamped against the hard floor, at a close enough distance to the half-demon that allowed him to feel her breathe down his skin, and leaned her head against his shoulder.

"So now you can forget about all your wishes being granted?" His low voice rubbed gently against her, his breath tickling her ear and sending little goose bumps down the skin of her neck, which, of course, didn't go unnoticed and forced a tiny proud smile to crawl up his cheeks.

"Oh, they'll be granted!" Kagome stammered before putting a little space between them. When the initial shock wore off, she allowed her head to rest against his shoulder again. "If it depends on me, they'll be granted." She added softly and smiled.

Inuyasha closed his eyes and allowed her scent to perfume the air around them.

"Just a little longer, right Kagome?"

***.*.***

The corner of his lips retracted in a smile as a sweet scent of cassia and mimosa tickled his accurate nose, forcing him to peep through the branches of the Sacred Tree and focus on the well that was not too far ahead. Moments later, a flash of bright blue light seeped through the little cracks in the wood and emerged from its depths, followed shortly by a wave of the refreshing fragrance he could no longer deny to appease and at the same time molest his spirit.

Landing soundlessly by the massive roots that threatened to rip the soil apart, Inuyasha raced through the forest named after him, reaching the well faster than the school girl could hope to climb her way out of. Extending one hand in the dark, he rejoiced when he felt her delicate fingers lacing around his with all the strength she could muster, silently asking him to use his own strength and allow her to rest for a second.

Claws pinning the back of her hand, the half-demon hoisted the young raven girl out of the well, only to have his arm embracing her as she hit her knee on the old wood and fell forward, her upper body crashing against his. He heard her muttering something about a _stupid well_ and an _even_ _stupider cake_ before her hand pushed lightly against the planes of his chest and her eyes glanced up into his for a silent apology.

Gripping her soft body tightly to his, Inuyasha dragged her feet to the green grass, holding her to him closer and for longer than would have been necessary for her to regain her balance.

"Are you hurt?" Kagome felt a warm blush staining her cheeks when he lowered his lips close to her ear and asked softly, forcing a little shiver down her neck.

When her head shook from side to side and an audible puff of air slipped past her lips, he couldn't help but smile. The fingers on his free hand lightly brushed her soft locks away from her neck, allowing the calming scent to engulf him before his arm untangled from her back and allowed her to step away.

Kagome gulped and tried to mentally count to whatever number was enough to appease the hammering in her heart. He had been doing it for a while – locking his burning gaze with hers and forcing her to look into his eyes; whispering close to her, allowing his breath to tease her sensitive skin; going as far as practically caressing the underside of her thighs whenever he carried her around on his back.

Her brain was turning into mush. She couldn't understand what his intentions were and she was sure _he_ couldn't understand that whatever he was doing to her, or planning on doing, was affecting her in a way neither of them would be comfortable discussing. Deep within her, a little masochistic monster told her to hold on to her hopes, but she knew better than to fantasize about her stubborn best friend. They had gotten dangerously close, and though she wanted nothing more than to act on her musings, she knew he couldn't possibly be purposefully trying to awaken the burning desire she felt for him at the moment.

That was just not Inuyasha.

"What took you so long? The runt has been bugging me all day to go and get you, and I for sure as hell was ready to comply." Inuyasha observed her as she glanced around and quickly returned her attention to him.

He knew fully well what kept her in her own side of the well. A few days prior, he had followed her when she decided there was much catching up on her school work to do – only, of course, he wasn't allowed to stay in the same room as her for more than five minutes. She had mentioned how the way he sat silently in her bed and bore holes in the back of her skull was distracting and she couldn't concentrate. However, he liked to believe she wasn't just bothered by his pestering – the immediate change in her scent when she noticed he devoured her with his eyes reinforced his theory.

He remembered leaning against her as she sat at her desk, his arms caging her in from behind. His golden eyes inspected the scribbles she wrote down before turning their attention to the sight of the pale skin of her cheeks. He smiled when her hand stopped all together. Before she could turn crimson, however, he mumbled something about entertaining himself and left the room, wasting no time in finding the fat cat that would keep him from giving in to boredom and dragging the young girl back to the past.

Mrs. Higurashi found him pulling the feline's tail as it struggled to get free, motioning for him to follow her and help her with some groceries. She chose that moment to ask him to come over for dinner in a couple of days, explaining how there was something to be celebrated: Kagome's birthday.

"I was stocking up, Inuyasha!" Her chocolate eyes dared him to question her again. "Besides, I baked something for you!" Kagome added with a smile as her hand lifted the white box wrapped in pink threads she carried up the well.

His brows furrowed in confusion. He was expecting that by then she would be bouncing up and down and informing the whole forest that it was her special day. He had declined her mother's invitation, planning to put up a little surprise of his own – reason why the monk, the demon slayer, the fox, the cat demon and the old priestess were waiting for him to return to the village with a very oblivious Kagome being dragged along his side.

His nose sniffed the content of the box, discerning a few scents that he had already picked up in her world before. Cake was what she had called it, wasn't it? He remembered her telling him something about how birthdays in her time were celebrated too. There was supposed to be a family reunion, presents and cake. Her bringing one along with her could only mean one thing.

"How did you know?" He pouted while watching her with what could easily be interpreted by anger.

Her head cocked to the side in confusion as no words left her lips. Sighing, Inuyasha gave up and decided not to dwell too much on the matter. Of course he wanted to surprise her but, as Kagome once told him, it was the intention that counted.

Without giving her another second to translate her thoughts into words, his calloused hand grasped her free wrist, giving it a light tug that sent her flying right into his warm embrace. As confusion hit her once again, the fingers that were grasping the frail box accidentally let it slip. Her lips would have scolded him when she practically heard the sound of the cake she had so carefully prepared crumble to pieces, weren't for his own plump lips lightly pressing against her forehead.

She felt the wind blowing through them, his earthy scent surrounding her whole body and forcing her to close her eyes. The warmth of his lips slipped away from her far too quickly, making her open her eyes at the loss. Yet, she soon found herself wanting to shut them close again as one of his fingers hooked under her chin and tilted her head back so she could look directly into his golden pools. His lips stayed no more than a breath away from hers, the thought that all she needed to do was stretch on her toes and reach his height to close the painful gap between them plaguing her mind.

"Happy birthday." His whisper brushed against her moist lips and melted her from the inside out. She felt the hand that was still wrapped around her wrist tighten painfully, his eyes shutting at the same time.

Inuyasha breathed in the scent of her hair that was gently tousled by the fresh wind. His clawed hand gripped hers firmly when the desire to bruise her lips with his own was too much to handle without taking his frustration somewhere else. He heard the little whimper that left her throat at the rough contact, forcing him to loosen his hold instantly. Never unlocking his golden eyes from hers, he reached inside his kimono and placed a small box in the hand he was not touching and that lay limply at her side.

The young girl felt him pressing a hard object to her hand before his fingers closed around hers and told her to hold on to whatever it was. Not being able to gaze into his golden eyes comfortably any longer, Kagome shifted so she could take a look at the little box he had offered her. Once the shock unclouded her eyes, she was able to take the tiny ribbon that wrapped it and open the gift.

"They're made from the remains of a great clan of dog-demons and the soil of their resting place. Mother once told me they would bring happiness and good luck for those who held them." She heard his warm voice close to her. "Thought you could use some of that." He smirked and brushed his fingers against the gelid flesh of one of her hands, tracing a healing scar she had gotten from one of their battles.

"You didn't have to." She decided to ignore his teasing comment and focused on the dark beads that resembled the ones hanging around his neck. "Thank you, Inuyasha." She smiled and decided to fight off her embarrassment, standing on her tiptoes and placing a small wet kiss on his cheek.

How he no longer felt in the least uncomfortable by her actions was disconcerting to her.

Inuyasha responded by taking the hand he had painfully been holding to him for a while, lifting it to his mouth to place a gentle kiss on the red mark that stained her wrist and that would for sure bruise before his eyes, before taking the beads out of the box and trailing them up her soft skin.

Entranced by the raw emotion reflecting in his eyes, Kagome let him pull her body until it met his back, telling her he would be piggy back riding her to wherever he pleased. She felt her legs shaking in the tinniest bit before the hard muscles of his back came in contact with her.

He bent down and picked the little white box from the forest floor and took off without another word.

***.*.***

"Happy birthday, Kagome!" The young brunette jumped back as four voices sang when she entered the poor hut with Inuyasha trailing behind her with a silly smile.

Their companions were sitting around the warm fire cross-legged, their features lighting up the moment she came in. She heard them when Inuyasha and her stepped foot outside the little hut: Sango calling Miroku a lecher and resorting to her boomerang weapon for punishment; Kaede telling Shippo how beautiful whatever he was doing was; Kirara resumed to her mewling, in what Kagome had learnt to be a sound of approval.

However, the moment the bamboo curtains opened, all unfocused eyes were on her and the surprise hit them. Not a second later they were congratulating her on her day and displaying cheerful smiles in their faces as she let her mouth hang open with the surprise.

"What? How-" She started before her brain connected the dots and forced her eyes to turn in the direction of the demon standing behind her. "You!" She pointed an accusing finger at him before letting the smile she could no longer contain trail up her neck. "This was all your doing, wasn't it?"

"Kagome, don't actua-"

She didn't know what happened. One second she was looking into the golden eyes of the half-demon she had met two years ago and the next all she could glance at was the red fabric of his kimono. Her bottom hit the floor as her legs magically lost their strength and gave out on her. She blinked a few times before glancing upwards towards the demon whose words had been cut off.

"What're you doing?" She would have rolled her eyes at his question had she not been taken aback by what had happened.

"Are you okay, Kagome?" Sango's voice reached from behind her, pulling her out of her stupor.

"I guess." She answered while wondering to herself and turning her gaze to the demon that had crouched in front of her and was inspecting her with a smirk.

"Guess the bracelet isn't good for much after all." His hand held out to hers as she lifted herself from the floor.

Deciding to drop the subject, she focused on something else. The Inuyasha she knew would never openly admit to have given her a present in front of their friends but this handsome person she was not sure to be the stubborn half-demon she loved was confusing her beyond belief.

"Kagome, we have presents for you!" Shippo's excited voice puller her out of her thoughts. "This one is from Kirara and me!" He crouched on her shoulder and handed her a draft of a book, the cover consisting of a drawing of the two demons hugging and sending her a heart.

"Thank you so much, Shippo! They're so beautiful!" She smiled while turning the page and carefully examining each roughly painted drawing with a small kitten-shaped red paw imprinted at the top of the pages. "And thank you too, Kirara!" She sent the small cat demon a happy smile as an answer to her mewls.

Sango proceeded to hand her friend her own present, the younger girl unwrapping the pink cloth to find a beautiful purple kimono with dust pink roses adorning the rich fabric. Miroku and Kaede were next, gifting the young priestess with a fairly large basket of scented soaps and incenses that would bring calmness, according to what they believed, to those with great spiritual power.

All sets of eyes landed a moment later on the demon leaning against the wall of the hut, his raised brow telling them they should not ask what was stuck in all their tongues.

"Inuyasha has already given me his." Kagome voiced his thoughts when she noticed the confused stares the others were giving him, putting the wrist that held the bracelet close to the fire so that everyone could see. In all honesty, she didn't know when they looked more appalled – when he made no motion to approach her or when she told them he had actually already given her a surprise of his own.

"You really didn't know?" She heard him sitting close behind her, the hint of innocent hope laced in his voice almost making her believe he was back to the old shy half-demon she knew.

"How could I have, Inuyasha?" She regretted turning her torso around to look him in the eye, his body much closer to hers than she had expected. "Sure, I could have figured it out when you…you know…" She swallowed the lump in her throat and battled to keep her eyes focused on his.

"Was your brain in overdrive?" Kagome didn't have to look down and find his lips to know he was smirking.

She felt stupid for letting her insides melt down with just a few words spoken by him in _that_ tone. Maybe she would have to reconsider _the innocent/shy/prude_ label she had mentally branded in his forehead. He was changing.

"Then, why the cake?" He asked again, the devilish hint in his voice replaced completely by curiosity. Did that man have a button to switch it on and off?

"I brought it because it was my birthday, I won't lie. But I had no intentions of letting you guys know that. I only felt like I needed to share this with you and since I knew you _would_ do something like this and even get rid of possessions you needed just to give me something, I felt guilty about telling you." Kagome turned around and opened the white box, revealing a half destroyed chocolate cake. "But, of course, you had to figure it out somehow." She shot daggers with her eyes at the demon sitting behind her, angrier that he had turned the beautifully adorned pastry into what could easily come across as poop than she was with the surprise he had arranged.

"Your mother is an open book." He stated amused.

"I don't doubt it." She rolled her eyes and cut a little piece of the chocolate mush, placing it in a plastic plate she had brought with her. "Who wants cake?" Kagome smiled while getting up, ready to place it in Kaede's hands since she was the elder among them.

"Hey, Kagome-" Inuyasha called, determined to let her know he thought he should be the one to receive the first piece – that is, until he was again cut off.

She fell.

Her dark brown eyes widened as her bottom hit the floor or the hut for the second time that night, making a loud _thud_ and forcing the group to turn their attention to her. She sat in front of the older priestess, being examined by her close eye. Her mouth opened and closed a few times before she sought out her friends' preoccupied gazes.

"Are you sure everything is alright, Kagome?" It was Miroku's turn to glance at her with a frown.

"I don't know what's going on." The young brunette murmured and checked her legs, massaging the muscles in hopes of finding a knot or a painful spot that would explain why they were giving out on her. It was sudden, giving her no time to think and regain her strength.

"Perhaps it would be better if you sat for a moment, Kagome." Old Kaede told her with a scowl of her own. "Have you been injured recently? Are you feeling ill?"

"No, it's probably just a drop in blood pressure." She stated and got up at the same time, trying to mask her discomfort so they wouldn't be worried. Although she hadn't felt any dizziness, so it was unlikely. It was just pure loss of the strength in ever fiber of her leg muscles.

"Is that serious, Kagome?" Shippo held on to her leg and asked before jumping to her shoulder. "Maybe Inuyasha should take you to your time so your healers could take care of you."

"There's no need for that Shippo. I'll just wait until tomorrow. It's already pretty late." Kagome smiled and patted the small fox on his head, lowering her arms to allow him to get back on the floor.

"You know what? For once the runt is right." Inuyasha got up from his spot and walked towards her, ready to throw her over his shoulder if she struggled to go back to her time with him. "You don't know what is it, Kagome! For all-"

Not a second had gone by and his arms were already wrapping around her body, her head burying in his chest. His hands gripped her waist as she threw her arms around his neck limply, instinctively reaching for him when all strength left her again.

"Kagome-" He tried to reason with her, desperately wanting to prove that she had to listen to them, only to have her body clamp in his arms yet another time.

Inuyasha was ready to pick her up and head out of the hut when his eyes met the beaded bracelet hanging loosely on her wrist. His forehead tensed as he waited for her to regain the strength on her legs, his arms releasing her wobbling form.

_It couldn't be_

Locking her chocolate eyes on his, he took a step back, never standing too far away so he could catch her if his theory was right.

"Kagome" As soon as his lips mouthed her name, she felt like the floor had been roughly pulled from under her, her body readying itself for the impact.

Her eyes closed as, once again, his strong embrace kept her on her feet. A collective gasp resonated in the hut and a timid _uh-oh_ they could make out to be Shippo's made a dreaded feeling shoot up her spine.

"That can't be good." Miroku's voice suddenly broke the silence.

Kagome watched in terror as the shock in the features of the half-demon pressed intimately against her was replaced by a small smile that quickly tore into a full grin. His honey eyes glanced down to the girl currently breathing against his chest. She was sure the cloud of happiness that covered them the next minute would prove to be less innocent than she thought.

"_'The word to hold his spirit'_" She heard him murmuring under his breath, remembering then their first encounter and recalling Kaede's words just like he had.

"The beads!" Without another word she shoved her hands against his chest, her angry glare boring holes in his forehead. "Inuyasha, what are these?" She placed her hand against the bracelet he had given her, discovering right away that, just as the beads that forced him to clamp on the floor every time she uttered the word _sit_, a faint trace of magic glowed from the ones resting on her wrist when she tried to remove them, blocking her attempts instantaneously.

"Kagome-" By the way her name left his lips, she wasn't sure if he was merely trying to explain and had forgotten about their sudden epiphany or if he was actually relinquishing on the possibility of him having some sort of power over her.

All she knew was that, when he made no attempt to catch her in mid-air, all Hell broke loose.

"Sit, boy!" She watched not in the least preoccupied as his face came crashing next to her legs. "Why did you put these things on me? Damn it, Inuyasha!" Unsuccessfully, she tugged on the beads locked in her wrist with all the strength she could muster.

"I didn't know they would send you crashing to the ground, woman!" His voice was muffled by the floor of the hut. "Though now that I think of it, it kind of makes us even, doesn't it?" When he smiled up at her, she wasn't sure if she wanted to throw herself in his arms or slap him across the face.

"I only use those to protect you or to keep you from running off on us, and you know that!" She yelled before pulling him by one of the furry ears that rested on top of his head. "Get these things off of me now, Inuyasha!" She meant to sound tough, discovering right away that getting his face that close to hers didn't help at keeping her nerves quiet, even in their current predicament.

"Would you calm the fuck down, _Kagome_?" He intentionally pronounced her name slowly, watching as her eyes closed as the feeling of numbness tickled her muscles. Before she could yell the word, he got up from the floor as quickly as inhumanly possible and pressed his hand against her mouth, the other wrapping around her body to keep her close. "Now listen to me, and listen closely. I don't know why those things are making you subjugate to my word but I for sure as hell didn't mean to give them to you on purpose. Believe me, the last thing I want is for that beautiful little body of yours to be damaged." He lowered his voice so only she could hear him, barely keeping control and not allowing the smirk that was practically screaming to crawl up his face to appear when the young girl trembled in his arms.

Lowering her lids, Kagome stared at the wooden floor as his much larger hand gently tugged hers and lifted it to his eyes. Making sure she was watching, he wrapped his fingers around the beads and pulled them from around her wrist.

Or would have, hadn't they clamped like a limpet to a rock.

Kagome's eyes narrowed as his second attempt flopped just as badly, the beads resisting even against his powerful claws.

Another sit erupted from her throat when she realized he planned on_ Iron-Reaver-Soul-Stealer _her wrist, assuring her he had the aim and wouldn't be cutting her hand off.

Like she would believe the word of a dog who had just put a leash on her!

"Kagome, why don't you try using your powers? Since the beads are made from demonic blood, they may not withstand your purification and end up freeing you." Sango suggested, knowing the priestess was seconds away from cutting off the half-demon's ears and putting them in a little bottle as a souvenir.

"I told you I could cut thes- Ow! What the fuck, woman!" Inuyasha felt a little jolt of purification running up his fingertips as he placed his hand on her wrist again.

"Quit it, already!" The brunette yelled and distanced herself from him. Even though she was mad and had just sent a little pain up his arm, she couldn't even bare to think that the amount of power she would be concentrating in a few moments could hurt him really badly.

Not that she had to worry, since not even summoning her powers forced the enchanted beads to dislodge.

"Someone should go and ask Sesshoumaru to lend us the Tenseiga, just in case." Shippo commented from behind Sango's shoulder, too scared to come in between the currently flaming couple.

Before Kagome could do something she would most likely regret, including breaking Kaede's floor with the force of a full grown half-demon slamming rapidly and repeatedly in the wood, she got up from her spot and shot a dangerous glare at Inuyasha, warning him that if he even tried to _Kagome_ her, his head would be on the chopping block.

Of course he couldn't care less.

"Where do you think you're going, Kag-"

"Sit!" She was proud of beating the half-demon to the punch, though the expression on her face could translate into anything but pleasure. Before he had the chance to spit the wooden splinters out of his mouth, she ran out the hut, too mad to even say goodbye to her friends or collect the gifts they had given her.

As her cursed legs carried her towards the well, she continued to chant _sit_ into the night air, knowing that with Inuyasha's accurate hearing, even if he wasn't close to her, he would still be able to pick up on her whispers and get all the more acquainted with his longtime friend, Mr. Dirt.

"Kagome!" She heard him shouting from the entrance of the hut.

Obviously, Inuyasha was a charitable character, proving to be more than willing to share the experience with her.

Her knees hit the hard soil of the forest making a soft whine erupt from her throat, the ache starting to pinch up her bones and sore her muscles. Her head turned back, catching a glimpse of red running up the hill towards the path she had taken.

"Sit." She didn't even bother to raise her tone, the monosyllable slipping past her lips between the gradually harsher exhales.

The first time she had raced him to the well, her wishes of returning to the future had been granted – even if it meant severely wounding the half-demon's back. However, she no longer possessed the advantage of being able to mutter a simple word and acquiring the time to do whatever she pleased as he lay in his own Inuyasha-shaped crater.

"Fuck, _Kagome_! Would you just stop and lis-" He made sure her name was heard in a fifty meter ratio before his face hit the ground for what seemed like the thousandth time that day.

"Sit! Sit! Sit! And stay seated, you idiot!" She had resumed to crawling her way through the last steps to the well.

However, before she could utter another word, his body lunged forward and landed roughly on top of hers. Her mouth released a whimper as his weight punched the air out of her lungs, yet she was actually thankful one of his arms absorbed most of the impact. What she wasn't thankful for, was the fact that the other one fastened her mouth for the second time since she had crossed over both worlds that afternoon.

"You're hurting me, Inuyasha." He was able to comprehend her frail words as they brushed against his hand. His heart ached as the look of pure helplessness swam in her chocolate eyes but his mind ached in a completely different way as she whimpered and writhed under him.

Call it instinct – his demon told him it was intentional.

But how could he not believe her?

His clawed hand unattached itself from her lips.

"Sit, boy!" Kagome yelled before he even had a chance to process what happened.

His eyes shut as his body braced itself for the familiar pain. However, that never came. His cheeks met the soft flesh of her tummy, punching her right underneath her ribs and sucking the air out of her body. As realization hit him, his claws buried in the ground next to her arms and pushed, every fiber in his body fighting against the spiritual power that crushed her under him.

He felt her torso instantaneously bending over his head as a reaction to the collision, her fingers tangling in his silver strands. She made no attempt to aid him in lifting himself off her body, knowing that it had been her fault they were in their current predicament.

"Stupid-" She heard him faintly as her lungs tried to milk the midnight air of its oxygen. When a breath of relief left his lips, she understood he was no longer under the influence of the spell and that belief was reinforced when his arms laced under her knees and around her shoulders and he jumped away from the portal to her time.

Running softly to prevent any further damage, and even secretly afraid that the young girl might curse the magic word at him just for revenge, he held her body close to his chest. With one swift jump, he landed on one of the higher branches of the Tree of Ages, sitting without a sound and cradling the young girl in his embrace.

"What were you even thinking? That once you got through the well it would magically deny me entrance?" He shook her body lightly so that her head rested on his shoulder, her legs draping over his.

Her eyes opened to glance up at his, her deprived human sight fading the sharp edges of his features. Although she didn't seem like she wanted to release a pack of furious cats after him anymore, he could tell from her quiet movements that at the slightest chance, she would be crawling away from his lap and jumping down without even concerning herself with breaking a bone or two.

"Stop, Kagome." His words were soft, telling her that even though he had included her name in the sentence on purpose, he didn't want to hurt her. "Why are you so mad at me for? I told you I didn't know."

"How coincidental, Inuyasha! Out of all the things you could use to make a bracelet with, you just had to pick some godforsaken beads that would send _me_, the one that put this thing around your neck,-" Her hand grasped his rosary and pulled until his head was a few breaths away from hers. "-crashing to the floor! Hell, even your stupid ramen wrapped up tight would do a good enough job!"

He couldn't help but bite a chuckle as she rambled. They were completely different in that matter, when he actually thought about it. Whenever he was irritated, he preferred to stay quiet and distance himself from her, while she chose to shoot at him every ounce of pent-up frustration.

"And it just had to be my name, hadn't it? At least the trigger for your necklace is not something I say on a daily basis! Usually I can't even tell you that I'm going to '_it' _on my ass because you'll be dragging me along by my legs and telling me there are jewel shards to find! But _no_! The first word you had to say after putting this stupid thing on me was my name! Not that you really use it all that much or anything, since you normally prefer the _stupid_ and _idiot_ and _wench_ version of _Ka-go-me_, but-" Suddenly, her words were cut off.

Her eyes widened in surprise as his mouth enveloped hers, taking full advantage of her parted lips. His tongue slipped inside her without her consent, pushing hers back and forcing her eyes to close rapidly. His hand tangled the strands on her nape, bringing her closer to his body as her smaller pale one fisted around the fabric of his kimono.

She felt his moist lips moving languidly against hers, painfully slowly. He had meant to shut her up when it first started, but his ragged movements had turned deliciously lazy, sensual. His sharp fangs nibbled lightly on her bottom lip before bringing it into his mouth so he could ease the light tingling that ran through the sensitive flesh.

His golden eyes opened to gaze down at her, his lips untying from hers yet keeping a distance short enough so she couldn't fully recover from the fog plaguing her mind.

"In the morning, I'm taking you to Totosai so he can explain what happened and why we can't remove them from you." His warm breath fanned her skin lightly, his dark amber orbs following the movement of her tongue as she shyly ran it across her lips, unconsciously seeking his flavor. "For now, just calm down and try not to think too much about me."

She should have slapped him. Damn it, she should have! He was mocking her after throwing her body into a complete euphoric state she had never known. Before, she could only hope that one day he would be embracing her and staring into her eyes as she had seen him do with Kikyou. Yet, when he did, and the first time at that, he chose to tease her for getting all tingly and needy. Not that she would ever admit the last part out loud, though. If he could mock her, then he could live with ignorance as well.

Instead, she resisted the urge to roll her eyes as he smiled very close to her lips before settling his back against the gruff trunk and squishing her closer to him. The sleeves of the robe of the fire-rat draped over her, protecting her from the cold and whatever danger could come from the outside world. She felt like it was just the two of them and their little bubble.

"I guess we'll have to come up with something for me to call you." Her eyes opened lazily as she registered his words. "Are you comfortable with Cutie Pie? Dumpling? Cupcake?" She couldn't help but smile when his voice became serious and he listed some of the words he had picked up from her times. Although she knew _he knew_ he would be sat until he created a tunnel to the other side of the world if he even dared utter one of those in public.

"Are you comfortable with me asking you to _take a seat_?" She felt him stiffening against her, his eyes widening and narrowing down at her the next second.

"Don't kid about that, woman." He warned, his cheeks leaning against the top of her head and resting in the soft tresses.

He heard her sighing and snuggling closer to him, her breathing becoming soft and deep after just a few minutes. Moments later, all that could be heard in the forest were the night creatures' singing.

***.*.***

"Hurry it up, Buttercup!" His sing song voice was starting to burn her nerve ends and begging her to shove him off a cliff.

They had been walking since the sun broke his way through the sky and she was still wondering what demon had possessed him over the night. Inuyasha had been acting strangely towards her as of lately, but trying to irritate her with sweet nicknames that would probably give her diabetes with all the sugar was pushing her to ask Miroku for one of his sacred sutras so she could exorcise the syrupy mood out of him. Then again, it wasn't the first time he proved to actually enjoy getting under her skin - and those were the times she wondered if he actually valued his life.

He had not brought up his little insanity moment from the night before and she felt too uncomfortable to even think about it. If it had been before, she would probably even talk about it openly with him, but this Inuyasha, the cocky idiot that kept throwing ashes in the fire, as if knowing what his proximity did to her, was intimidating.

He had agreed on letting her walk with her own two feet when she glared heatedly and told him she needed the stretch. Of course, her hopes of finally being able to get something through the demon's skull were short lived as he purposefully took much larger and quicker steps than necessary. By the constant angelic smile gracing his lips, she was sure he was trying to tire her out so she would have to ask him for a little help.

"Why are we seeing Totosai, again? Didn't you say Myoga was the one that helped you collect the gems back at Bochinukai's lagoon?" She asked as her legs kept the pace as closer to his as they possibly could.

"Well, do you see the flea anywhere around here?" Inuyasha glanced over his shoulder and gave her a smirk. "Don't tell me you're tired already, Pickle Head."

"Either you cut it out or I'm purifying your ears! And I love those, so imagine what I would to the rest of you." Kagome warned calmly with a small fake smile, her eyes narrowing in his figure a few steps ahead of her.

She could see no fading between the dark blue of the fall sky and the clouds of ashes that surrounded the volcano, clearly stating they were about step in demonic territory. Totosai was lucky to have Mō-Mō with him, otherwise his hiding wouldn't seem any less dangerous than Naraku's.

"You love the rest of me just as much." Inuyasha smiled before bending down to his knees in front of her, knowing the trip up the accentuated hill would be too hard for her. When she eyed him with what he thought to be confusion and made no attempt to reach him, he spoke with an encouraging tone used to get children to do something. "_Come_ _on_, Kagie. You want those things off you or are you changing your mind?"

"Don't call me _Kagie_." She cringed as the name left her lips bitterly and he bit back a chuckle. "Given the choice, stick with Buttercup."

***.*.***

"What do you mean '_you don't know'_?" Kagome crossed her arms under her chest as her body flamed with anger.

Her current situation was not allowing any other type of reaction. Totosai's volcano was fleetingly hot, burning her feet the moment she entered, even with the protection offered by her shoes. The three demons, however, seemed to be withstanding the heat without breaking a sweat, while she felt her body dripping everywhere.

Her hands fanned her face as best as they could, desperately trying to cool her down. Inuyasha, the gentleman he was, offered to sit her in his lap while they tried to figure out what had gone wrong with his seemingly innocent gift, and although she denied it as many times as her burning feet allowed her, eventually she was able to fight her embarrassment back and accept his offer.

It hadn't been long until she wanted to slap her forehead for not reminding herself that Inuyasha was walking trouble and, even if unconsciously, whenever he tried to fix one problem, he ended up creating another. That was no exception, given that she felt her body ready to burst with heat as she let herself lean back against his.

Add all that to the fact the beads that could subjugate her whenever he gave the word were still wrapped around her wrist like magnets.

How was she supposed to not be irritated? So she had ended up in her current position – back straight, barely balanced and just on the verge of grabbing the three demons by their collars and throwing them in one of the pools of scorching lava.

"There are no scriptures on the matter, my Lady." Inuyasha's left eye twitched as Myoga addressed Kagome so formally. "My knowledge is as limited as Lord Inuyasha could perceive when I told him the story behind those beads. As far as I know, no one ever attempted to collect them and create a piece of jewelry."

"Oh, aren't you original…" Kagome mumbled in the warm air, knowing the half-demon currently serving as her seat could hear her as clearly as water.

"Is that why you came to visit? For a moment there I thought you would ask me for a tiara next." Totosai intervened without taking his eyes off the sword he was currently melting.

"You sure were bothered about that." Inuyasha glared his way. "Did you do something to them? Last time I asked you for a favor I ended up with a sore back for two days because of how heavy you forged my sword!"

"It is not my fault your fang could not live up to your father's power." The swordsmith closed his eyes and pointed his nose in the air as if in deep thought.

"Why you!-"

"Ah, now that I think of it, my Lord…" Six eyes were suddenly locked in the small flea demon rubbing the back of his head, breaking in cold sweats that were certainly not from the heat and smiling from East to West of Japan. "Maybe there is no need for further dwelling on the matter."

"Meaning?" Kagome's voice regained hope.

"Well…I did tell you why the corpses of the deceased demons of the clan were thrown in the crater, right, my Lord?" His voice was shaky as his head lowered and he glanced hopefully at the half-demon, somehow trying to break the news to him without ending up squashed. He received a suspiciously nod as an answer. "The sacred proprieties of the soil helped releasing the souls-"

"-'_and the physical plane to remain on our grounds'_" Inuyasha didn't allow the vessel to finish, remembering his words. His forehead tensed, forcing his eyebrows to narrow.

He couldn't be serious.

"That was literal?!" The golden eyed demon inspected the flea from head to toe, hoping to see if he had grown a fifth arm or had peeled off his skin to reveal a possessed creature.

"As I've told you I don't know, my Lord!" He exclaimed when the half-demon made an attempt to catch him and slaughter him with his claws, surprising him half to death. "I myself believed the saying referred to those that are resurrected and walk among us as the living dead!"

"How was that supposed to bring me good luck, exactly?" Kagome's infuriated eyes turned back to demon who paid very little attention to her, not noticing the suspicious stares from the swordsmith and the vessel.

"If Lady Kagome subjects to your word and thus is roughly pinned to the ground, it may very well be because of the nature of the gems!" Myoga explained from behind Totosai's back, hiding from the glares of the couple. "When you first mentioned I thought it could have something to do with her spiritual powers, since the beads are made from pure demonic blood, and so they could create a battle of wills, but I guess we can't even think of it as an option since nothing has changed in the immaterial domain."

"Are you quite sure about that?" Totosai hummed before glancing back at Myoga who pinched him, as hard as his small hands permitted, trying to make the action go unnoticed by the sharp sight of the half-demon before them.

"Yes, _I_ _am_ quite sure, _Totosai_." The flea demon spoke almost soundlessly, his eyes fidgeting, warning the swordsmith not to persist on the matter.

"You mean there could be other consequences?" Kagome went still in Inuyasha's lap, watching the conversation between the two old demons.

"I wouldn't worry too much about it, my Lady! You have not felt any changes within you, now have you?" Myoga smiled and scratched the top of his head.

"Not that I can recall." She stammered as her confused stare turned to Inuyasha, silently asking him if he had noticed anything different about her besides the effect of the beads whenever he called her name.

"Excellent! Then we're excellent! Everyone's excellent!"

* * *

**Hi everyone :3**

**Forgive me for disappearing for so long...college started and it's been no bed of roses...**  
**This will be just a little two-shot that will be updated soon :) I decided to follow the advice of a good friend of mine and split it in two because fanfiction is not supposed to be something that'll turn your brain into mush .p Since we're on that, thank _LenneDalben_ for once again revising this story :) She deserves many many cookies :3**

**Either way, for those of you that are waiting for Chained to be updated, please don't crucify me for this .s I needed a little break from it but the next chapter will be up in a week or so, if things go the way I planned :)**

**Remember, reviews are internet freebies!**  
**-DiryDary-**


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